Punters have flocked to Viewed with the 2008 winner assuming outright favouritism to give Bart Cummings a 13th Melbourne Cup.Betting agencies reported strong activity in the 24 hours since the final field was declared on Saturday with Viewed shading South Australian Alcopop who had been equal favourite.But the biggest threat to Cummings winning back-to-back Cups with Viewed may well come from within.Cummings is also upbeat about the prospects of AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor who ran
Punters have flocked to Viewed with the 2008 winner assuming outright favouritism to give Bart Cummings a 13th Melbourne Cup.
Betting agencies reported strong activity in the 24 hours since the final field was declared on Saturday with Viewed shading South Australian Alcopop who had been equal favourite.
But the biggest threat to Cummings winning back-to-back Cups with Viewed may well come from within.
Cummings is also upbeat about the prospects of AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor who ran second to Viewed in the Caulfield Cup.
Roman Emperor and fellow Melbourne Cup contender, stablemate Allez Wonder, accompanied Viewed to Flemington on Saturday but did not race while Viewed had his final lead-up in the Mackinnon Stakes.
He finished third to Scenic Shot after putting a scare into jockey Brad Rawiller when he faltered after being galloped on but a wound sustained to his hind leg was superficial.
Cummings took his other two runners to the course to acclimatise them to the noise and the crowds on Cup day.
"I'm very happy with Roman Emperor and Allez Wonder," Cummings said.
"They worked together on Saturday morning over 1-1/4 miles (2000m) and both came through really well."
Cummings has used the Mackinnon as a traditional lead into the Cup with success in the past but believed Roman Emperor did not need to run.
Punters do not perceive the international contenders have a real chance this year but there has been some money for Mourilyan and Crime Scene.
Alcopop is trained by rookie Jake Stephens and will be ridden by Dom Tourneur who, until he steered Alcopop to two victories in Melbourne this spring, was little known outside his home state.
Stephens held Alcopop back until he turned four, opting instead to use the horse on his rural property, partly to muster cattle.
The tactic has paid off with the gelding winning five of his seven starts this year.
Stephens describes his methods as typical of those adopted in New Zealand or Europe.
"Their horses often don't race until they're well into the fourth or fifth years," he said.
Alcopop has two wins over the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking this spring with the latter stamping himself as a genuine threat with victory in Saturday's Lexus Stakes to firm to the fourth line of Cup betting.
The absence of Caulfield Cup third placegetter Vigor from the 24-horse field caused some controversy when the line-up was announced.
Although the committee of the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) has the discretion to change the make-up of the field, it would have had to take a qualified runner out to include Vigor who was 25th in order of entry.
Trainer Danny O'Brien opted not to run in the Mackinnon, hoping the attrition rate would help his cause.
It almost did, with 2007 winner Efficient withdrawn due to a recurring injury and his stablemate Zipping ruled out after being a late scratching from the Mackinnon when he became cast in the barrier.
The highest rated of the Godolphin team, Kirklees, was also taken out when Saeed bin Suroor arrived from Europe and decided on inspection he was not going well enough leaving Crime Scene to represent Sheikh Mohammed.
The New Zealanders have not won the Cup since Ethereal in 2001 and the best of their four is Daffodil, winner of the AJC Australian Oaks and fourth in the Caulfield Cup.
Capecover, Spin Around and Gallions Reach are the other hopes from across the Tasman.
Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder is the outsider of the Cummings' trio and will be ridden by Michelle Payne who is trying to become the first woman to ride the winner of the Cup.